Customer Reviews

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls

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One of the things that made Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls a groovy movie was the soundtrack, that 60's psychedelic pop and the songs done by the girl group Kelly Affair/Carrie Nations. I was miffed that it was unavailable until I discovered that a special edition had been issued this year. A quick look at the titles made me raise my fist in triumph, as I recognized the songs.

The main title sequence has the opening music from the start of the movie conjoined with bits of the title theme sung by the Sandpipers. The mostly instrumental title theme is included later.

OK, the Carrie Nation songs. "Find It" and "Sweet Talking Candyman" are two upbeat psychedelic power-pop numbers, and there are two versions for reasons I'll explain later. My favorite Carrie Nation songs are the Beatle-ish/Mamas and Papas flower-power of "Come With The Gentle People" and the mid-paced ballad "In The Long Run." The former exudes an extended hand of welcome and peace. Message here is: "help us to light the way/and let us free the people who are hung up and who are afraid/love can be a way of life if you open up the door/love can overcome the fear and life can be so much more." I was definitely born in the wrong decade. The second is curious in that there's a slap at flower power: "The sweet smell of clover won't make the world over/you spend idle hours talking to flowers who won't even talk back to you." More love than flower power in the chorus: "in the long run, you'll need someone to trust and count on/somewhere along the way/in the long run, will there be someone that you can lean on, come a rainy day?" However, there is room for a world that can be imagined instead of what already is: "If you find a world that's enchanting/it's up to you to start expanding." Strings and a brass section highlight this wonderfully upbeat late Motown-like number.

The Strawberry Alarm Clock's two numbers done at Z-man's party, the slow-paced grind "Girl From The City" and the hard blues-rocker with a Cream-style guitar "I'm Coming Home" are included. Unless I'm mistaken, they aren't available on any of their studio albums. Then there's "Ampersand (&)" by Stu Phillips, a rocking jam complete with a pronounced rhythm guitar and organ.

Other instrumental scores are variations on the main theme "I Need You So Very Much" and "Dinner Party", or in the case of "Late Night Visit," a slow version of "In The Long Run."

"Let The Games Begin!" is an excerpt from Paul Dukas's tone poem "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" and was played when Z-man's guests were imbibing the potion for his soon-to-turn-tragic orgy. Remember Mickey Mouse and the enchanted broomsticks in Fantasia? Yes, THAT number!

The real treat are the original vocalists behind the Kelly Affair/Carrie Nations. Lynn Carey and Barbara Robinson's versions of "Sweet Talkin' Candy Man," "Come With The Gentle People," and "Look On Up At The Bottom" are the actual ones used for the movie. The other versions feature Ami Rushes, who is actually quite good, but doesn't possess the vocal power of Carey, plus the sonic quality's not as good as the Carey versions. The reason, as explained in the liner notes is that Lynn Carey's contract did not allow her renditions to be included on the original soundtrack. Carey's vocals resemble early Cher with a lot of deeper soul mixed in. If I'd first heard "In The Long Run" or "Look On Up At The Bottom," with my eyes closed, I would've pictured a soul group like Honey Cone.

The liner notes are extensive, as they detail Stu Phillips' recollections of working with Russ Meyer, which is a mixture of respect and exasperation. I did however, find myself agreeing with Alex Patterson, a fan who wrote in the liner notes that "If 21st Century AM radio offered the musical nirvana of "In The Long Run" or "Gentle People", I might actually turn the damn thing back on. But it doesn't, so I don't." Right on! Also, Roger Ebert's 1980 recollections ten years after the movie was made is included. And there's lotsa shots of the pretty girls who appeared in the movie, including a topless shot of Dolly Read (Kelly).

So glad that I finally got this rare find, and kudos to Stu Phillips, who did the score and songwriting on this album!

Lynn Carey's throaty crooning alone makes this worth buying. It's a huge cd, topping out at around 25 tracks. You get every original "Carrie Nations" song plus some tracks from The Strawberry Alarmclock, and all of the "groovy" instrumentals you hear in the film. There is another soundtrack out there, an import, but it's not worth it. You don't get everything you get on this one. This is the way to go.

Recent reissue,of the original twelve track lp that's been expanded to twenty-five cuts.Maybe a bit over done,but still worth owning a copy of.Decent job on the soundtrack of the over-the-top Russ Meyer's 1970 chick flick.Tunes I liked best were Carrie Nation's "Look On Up At The Bottom","In The Long Run","Find It" and especially the uptempo "Sweet Talkin' Candy Man" along with Strawberry Alarm Clock's "Girl From The City".Check this disc out for yourself when you can.A should-have.

I love this Soundtrack album, especially "Come With the Gentle People." That "Green Acres"-style argument that Kelly and Harris have against the backdrop of L.A. visuals, then the transition to the mini-bus trip west singing "Gentle People" is my favorite part of the movie.

There are only two things wrong here. First, another of my favorite songs, "In the Long Run," sounds different on the album as opposed to the movie. It sounds like those other "1st Version" songs on this album, not what is used in the movie. Secondly, there is a serious omission. The background music used in the scene with Harris and Ashley driving in the Rolls Royce is missing! Strangely enough, the DVD uses this music as the background for the main menu display. Why isn't it here?

And, the Strawberry Alarm Clock offer two terrific rockers. It's nice to see them have their moment both in the movie and on the CD.

All and all, a great soundtrack to a movie that has to be seen -- more than once -- to be believed.

Product was delivered quickly and safely. It is quite a wonderful collection of all the music (background mod stuff, too) from this classic film. I am very pleased.

Unfortunately, the Carrie Nations were not a real band, but they sure sounded as good as any real band i have ever listened to.

They were made up for the film, Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls, a 1970 cult-porn-rock-soap-opreaploxtation that it too elaborate to get into here. But the music is outragously great girrrrrrrlll softrock, with great vocals, and some excellent fuzz guitar cheese.

"In The Long Run," is as good as any track on a Jackie Deshannon or Dusty Springfield album. "Find It," and "Look Up At The Bottom," would work great on any post-Diana Supremes record.

There is an interesting dichodmy at work here: in the strict sense, this is really not 60s rock or pop, but Hollywoods conception of what it sounded like. This being the case though, the music is almost hyper-real, sounding more like the real thing than the real thing actually does. It is an abstraction: instead of writting merely songs, the composer, Stu Phillips, has succeeding in capturing the essence of what pop was at the time, even though you might not hear anything like it on top 40 radio.

Also included are musical interludes, also by Phillips, which have a cheesey cinamascope sound but which work perfectly here.

Music buff or Cheese Whiz freak, you gotta hear this one.

both this one, as the Harkit version has 25 tracks, and the Harkit version has a nice booklet. don't know a thing about this obscure label... so this bargain could be a bad sale....